Kā Kaupapa o te Wā
What’s On
Disruptive Landscapes: Contemporary Art from Japan
Quietly powerful and immersive video works revealing the politics behind our view of landscape.
John Vea: Ini Mini Mani Mou
Powerful new work examining the complexities of the immigration process in Aotearoa New Zealand.
He Kapuka Oneone – A Handful of Soil
Exploring the relationship between tākata and whenua – people and land – through Aotearoa New Zealand’s art history.
E tuwhera ana te wharetoi i kā rā e 7 o te wiki, 10am - 5pm
Ka tuwhera ki te 9pm i kā pō Wenerei
Open 7 days, 10am - 5pm
Late night Wednesday until 9pm
Uruka utukore, ahokore utukore
Free entry, free wifi
Home Thoughts by Denis Glover
Today our former director Jenny Harper reads a poem that is the very essence of New Zealand, and specifically Canterbury, identity, and one we just could not leave out.
It's a decent length for hand-washing, but no harm in that. I could have selected half the works in our collection to accompany this one, but have gone for John Weeks's depiction of a bustling Cathedral Square. We very much look forward to experiencing such a scene again before too long.
The Polar Bear by John Summers
Lily and Thomas Semple, whose Dad (Neil Semple) works with us - as did their Mum (Lara Strongman) until recently - read John Summers's poem The Polar Bear.
So this one is for all of you in lockdown with children. Children who perhaps like Billy in this poem will not go to bed when they should.
For handwashing purposes it's over a minute long, so perhaps ideal for washing a whole load of little hands in turn.
There Is Only One Direction by James K Baxter
Dr Peter Simpson reads James K Baxter's poem There Is Only One Direction. Baxter wrote this poem in response to Colin McCahon's painting of the same name, now in the collection of Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū.
The poem has been generously provided by the Hocken Collections - Uare Taoka o Hākena and is reproduced with kind permission of the family of James K. Baxter.
There is a Solemn Wind Tonight by Katherine Mansfield
Visitor Host Michael Purdie reads a favourite Katherine Mansfield poem.
Matching a work from our collection for this gentle verse proved difficult. The wind in New Zealand is rarely solemn or gentle and whether coming from north, south or east, it's always vicious. This is reflected in our paintings which depict plenty of dramatic storms, but little that could be called gentle.
In any event we hope you enjoy washing your hands to both Katherine Mansfield and to Juliet Peter's Rising Wind. Rising into a hurricane force storm no doubt.
For a Child by Denis Glover
Sumner beach may be off limits at the moment but we hope this poem will stir some happy memories. It did for the reader, Rupert Glover, the poet's son, who says he 'grew up on Sumner beach.'
Theatre Beautiful
One thing I’m really looking forward to when life returns to a new sense of normality in a post-Covid19 world is visiting a movie theatre – a treat I’ve taken for granted until a couple of weeks ago. In Theatre Beautiful, Dunedin artist Harry Vye Miller captures the bustling busy interior of Dunedin’s Regent Theatre which opened in the city’s Octagon in 1928. Miller enjoyed this theatre and is known to have attended the opening night. The building thankfully remains fully intact and is one of the gems of Dunedin’s architectural heritage.
Five Little Piggies
Violet Richards, daughter of our Registrar Gina Irish, recites This Little Piggy Went to Market.
Two hands, right? So play it twice, once for washing each hand.
Colouring in: Cosmo McMurtry
Cosmo looks a lot like the Easter Bunny to me – and luckily for us Jacinda Ardern has confirmed that the Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy are considered essential workers while we're in lockdown!
Colouring in: In the Wizard's Garden
This painting looks as if there’s a story happening in it. What do you think that story is?
Colouring in: Nathaniel Webb, Esq., of Roundhill Grange, Charlton Musgrove, Somerset
This painting was made around 300 years ago, so it’s quite old. The man in the picture was called Nathaniel Webb. In his portrait Nathaniel wears very fine clothes and a wig. It seems strange to us now but at that time it was a popular fashion for rich men to cut their own hair short and wear a wig.